After two high schoolers are gruesomely murdered, the town of Woodsboro, CA is whipped into a frenzy of fear and speculation. Meanwhile, with her father out of town and the local news media rehashing painful memories, ‘teenager’ Sidney Prescott struggles with the anniversary of her mother’s murder. Sidney is waiting for a friend when she gets a call from the killer and is immediately attacked by a Ghostface-mask-wearing brute; she narrowly escapes with her life. With the killer on the loose actively hunting teens, school is suspended and the town begins to shut down for curfew. Undaunted by the threat, a large batch of teenagers throw major house party to celebrate school being out. Hoping to be distracted and find safety in numbers, Sidney goes. But soon enough, when everyone splits off for various reasons, the killer resumes the hunt with nothing but monologuing and plot armer to get in the way.
Even though I kid, I actually really liked Scream. It’s a very fun, self-aware, whodunit murder mystery. The film does such an excellent job of setting clues and making you think that you’re on the case. But after a few dead ends and a growing list of suspects, I ultimately stopped guessing and sat back to just enjoy the flick. The “scary movie” theme really elevates this film from a typical slasher to something kind of genius. There was one point where the film sort of says, “the ‘Halloween’ score is perfect for this scene, so we’re just going to use it!” And it’s perfect! And while some things don’t necessary hold up—such as the role technology plays and the notion that a rural businesses would follow a curfew mandate (LOL)—the film holds up perfectly fine as a snapshot of the ‘90s and maintains a worthy bench spot on the “great slasher film” all-star team.